|
-28-
BANGARU
LAXMAN (continuing): And government, through us.
TEHELKA: Yeah.
[Sound of door opening and closing]
TEHELKA: Yeah, no, no.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Therefore, I will….
TEHELKA: Okay, but who'd be the main person we deal
with? I mean, would you give us a point man? We will deal
with him.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Oh sure.
TEHELKA: Is Satya okay?
BANGARU LAXMAN: No, not Satya.
TEHELKA: Not Satya? Okay.
BANGARU LAXMAN: We will, I will give you…
TEHELKA: Okay.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Let me get in touch with those
people. I will tell you tomorrow. I will find out from my
treasurer and I will let you know.
*
* *
|
Throughout the meeting Bangaru Laxman had the expectancy
that Alvin D'Souza would just open his briefcase and out
would come some odd $25,000. But that was not to be. In
the end he asks himself. |
TEHELKA: Okay. So should we meet again tomorrow? Possible?
Some time tomorrow?
BANGARU LAXMAN: Yes. You will ring me and then
you come?
TEHELKA: Yeah? It will be more convenient. We were
supposed to convey some money today and as you can understand
my problem…getting dollars was a little hassly and we didn't
get it the way we want. So is it possible that I could come
tomorrow with the dollars?
BANGARU LAXMAN: Yeah, yeah.
TEHELKA: Yeah? So what time around? Should we give
you a call and come?
BANGARU LAXMAN: Yeah.
TEHELKA: So, will you get that piece of information
by tomorrow?
BANGARU LAXMAN: I hope so. At least the system…
TEHELKA: At least the system, the whole general picture
of it.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Okay.
TEHELKA: I'm told you have possibilities of becoming
the first Indian Dalit Prime Minister. Is that true?
[Pause; Laxman laughs]
TEHELKA: Then we'll meet tomorrow, right, sir? Thanks
a lot, thank you…it was a very nice pleasure meeting you.
BANGARU LAXMAN: Thank you.
*
* *
Two days later, after we are ducking all calls from Bangaru
Laxman's office and, comically, from Bangaru himself asking
where the money is, we meet up with Sathyamurthi to sew
up the final deal. Sathymurthi, incidentally, had come
to meet Alvin D'Souza at his suite in a five-star hotel
asking for his share of the bounty. Here, Sathyamurthi
is convincing us about the efficacy of the
Bangaru Laxman channel for our lobbying purposes. He tells
us he will be
taking us to meet BJP treasurer Ved Prakash Goyal and,
most importantly,
tells us that Bangaru even handled the Sukhoi deal with
a cartel of middlemen. Both Bangaru and Sathyamurthi are
interested in cutting R.K. Gupta,
the RSS trustee, out of the deal. |
TEHELKA: So, if that, Bangaru's channel will operate
it, haan? There is any conflict will start?
SATHYAMURTHI: No, nothing. Nothing.
TEHELKA: No problem at all?
SATHYAMURTHI: Absolutely no problem.
TEHELKA: Yesterday Mr. Bangaru given the impression
that the defence work of BJP is doing Mr. Brajesh Mishra.
SATHYAMURTHI: Yeah.
TEHELKA: Through him he will do? You know any…anything?
SATHYAMURTHI: There's all one team, I'll tell you.
Mr. Laxman, Brajesh and the man who looks after our financial
things.
TEHELKA: Okay.
SATHYAMURTHI: We are supposed to meet our financial
man today. After we meet Bangaru-ji also. He'll tell the same
thing, "You go with Sathyamurthi and deliver the thing there."
TEHELKA: Who's he?
SATHYAMURTHI (continuing): That we'll decide. And I'll
meet him now. Because to meet you only I came here. Because
I cannot talk from the office. You know that well.
TEHELKA: Okay.Tell me very frankly, what I have to…to
meet whom? No, you are taking me...but what is his name?
SATHYAMURTHI: Who?
TEHELKA: That you're going to introduce.
SATHYAMURTHI: No, no, it may not be necessary also.
TEHELKA: Otherwise I will not come.
SATHYAMURTHI: No, no, he is our…one Mr. Ved Prakash
Goyal.
TEHELKA: Hmm.
SATHYAMURTHI: Ved Prakash Goyal.
TEHELKA: Ved Prakash Goyal. He is a…
SATHYAMURTHI: He is a treasurer of the party nowadays.
TEHELKA: Okay.
SATHYAMURTHI: And in the end we taken Gupta…R.K. Gupta.
TEHELKA: Okay, okay. Gupta is playing the game he started.
SATHYAMURTHI: Yes. Yesterday I discussed it with my
treasurer. He asked me to screw him and…
TEHELKA: Gupta is…Gupta's phone…I had reached Delhi.
When I entered into Delhi… I got four times Gupta's call.
SATHYAMURTHI: Don't pick up.
TEHELKA: If he will create any problem, that is not
my mistake. I'm telling you that is the mistake of you and
your boss.
SATHYAMURTHI: He will not create any problem. Because
his thing is in it. He is in our hands.
TEHELKA: That is good.
SATHYAMURTHI: He won't do any mischief.
TEHELKA: Hain?
SATHYAMURTHI: He cannot play mischief with us.
TEHELKA: No, he done lot of deals, that is true, through
Mr. Bangaru. He has done lot of deals…in defence deals.
SATHYAMURTHI: I know, nobody else knows that in my
office.
TEHELKA: Okay.
SATHYAMURTHI: That's what…
TEHELKA: But he told me that he will give the money
to Mr. Bangaru also, party fund also.
SATHYAMURTHI: And he has to give, he has to give ultimately.
TEHELKA: Okay.What he done the last big deal? Can you
give any information?
SATHYAMURTHI: No, that I cannot tell.
|
